---
title: "Raja Ravi Varma: Painter (UPSC GS1) | Model Diplomat"
description: "Raja Ravi Varma (1848–1906) fused European realism with Indian mythology and pioneered oleographs, making him essential for UPSC art and culture studies."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/raja-ravi-varma"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Raja Ravi Varma (1848–1906) was an Indian painter from Travancore who fused European academic realism with Indian mythological subjects and pioneered mass-produced oleographs.
- Why is Raja Ravi Varma important for the UPSC GS1 art and culture syllabus?
- What is an oleograph and how did Ravi Varma use it?
- How did the Bengal School differ from Raja Ravi Varma?
- Was Raja Ravi Varma actually a king?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 29 April 1848

   Raja Ravi Varma ( – 2 October 1906) was a painter born at Kilimanoor, a feudatory estate connected by marriage to the royal house of Travancore in present-da…

2. 2 October 1906

   Raja Ravi Varma (29 April 1848 – ) was a painter born at Kilimanoor, a feudatory estate connected by marriage to the royal house of Travancore in present-day…

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In 2023 a Raja Ravi Varma oil, \*Draupadi Vastraharan\*, drew record bidding at a Pundole's auction in Mumbai, underscoring the enduring market value of his nineteenth-century mythological canvases.

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